Walls
by Josie Griffin
Summary: Change is in the air. Can House knock down the walls around his heart and learn to love once agian? Hameron. This is my first fic, reviews would be wonderful!
1. Chapter 1

Walls.

The structures that surround us. The building blocks of our privacy, our security.

They are mostly built for two reasons: to keep something in or to keep something out. In a lot of cases, both reasons apply.

There are the walls that make up our home, keeping us safe from the outside world, and lock us into the tight unit most of us can call a family.

Then there are the walls that surround an entire country, trapping people in and keeping unwanted invaders and ideas away. The walls that come with armed guards at every hundred feet and will shoot you down whether you are brining in a bomb or just dropping off a package for you aunt. You do not breach these types of walls.

Intangible walls.

These invisible barriers enclose each and every one of us. The building of these walls begins as we grow. At first we are young and just wanting anyone to play and spend time with us. We are new to the world. We leave the door to our hearts open for anyone to walk in and enjoy some freshly brewed ice tea. But as we grow, we eventually let the wrong people wander through the door and we realize we need to go buy some locks.

But some of us make keys. We let people in. We grow, we heal and we live our lives. The walls around our hearts have wounds that reflect our pain, but we still keep going.

Everyone has walls.

His wall is strong but he knows how fragile it can be. One key was made and that is for him and him alone. The wall of Gregory House's heart can be seen from miles away and everyone stays clear.

Well, not everyone.

Wilson.

To him, Wilson's wall seems like an open house. With three marriages under his belt, Wislon can't have the greatest security system. But no matter how many times he has let someone in, and no matter how many times he has gotten hurt, he still keeps trying. He feels that what he gains from opening up to someone is far more rewarding then what he looses when it ends. All he needs is to love, and to love is all he needs.

But that was Wilson.

Dr. Gregory House was a completely different species. His wall was not to be breached and he was grateful that few have tried. For no one can climb the walls surrounding his heart. At least that is what he thought.

Allison Cameron.

Now as House sat and analyzed the "housing" situation of the people around him, he was not sure what kind of walls she enclosed herself in.

No armed gunman, but he could never see everything about her at one glance.

Trying to dissect Cameron's soul was like going to visit the White House. He could tour and never really come to close to anything because she lined her heart with red velvet rope on golden stands that linked together with tiny hooks. He could easily hop over, ok not hop, but it was easy to get a closer look at who she was. At least the parts she wanted the public to see.

But what about the other parts of her heart. The rooms you don't get to see on the tour. The rooms that are for the eyes of the specialized personal only. The people who the know the eighteen digit pass code. These rooms were highly confidential.

He had taken the tour more then once, even bought a few souvenirs along the way. But for him it wasn't enough. He wanted to see the inside, to be allowed in the secret rooms of her heart. He has never really wanted that kind of access to emotion before, he had honestly never really cared for the secret rooms of others.

But Cameron did something to him. The effect she had on him was truly indescribable. To him, it wasn't a complete stretch of the imagination to see her climb his walls while he toured her heart. It wasn't a complete stretch to see them build a wall of their own.

Gregory House was never one for change but he needed to see the other rooms. He needed to know her pass code and in return, maybe he would need to make an extra set of keys.

_Wilson would be so proud_.

He thought to himself as he glanced at the lower right hand of his computer.

_2 am, an hour and a half of self reflection and all I got was that I **might** want to try to get to know Cameron. Maybe. It might be ok to have more then one friend..._

Placing both hands under his damaged limb he eased his leg from its spot on his desk and gently lowered it to the floor before getting up. He put away the latest patient file and left his office.

The drive back to his home was nothing but a blur. His mind bank and focused on the empty road ahead of him. He thought enough about his life today and needed to sleep.

While going through routine, before bed tasks he stopped and looked at his reflection in the mirror above his white porcelain sink.

Truly looking, he didn't like what he saw. Ignoring the white foam of toothpaste around his mouth, he closely examined the man before him. Dark circles surrounding the eyes that were once full of so much light. Speckles of grey could be seen from his hair to his three-day-old beard. He did not like what he saw. He saw tired.

He saw miserable.

He saw alone.

Shaking himself out of his trance he ran the water and rinsed his mouth of toothpaste. Taking one last look at himself before heading off to his bedroom.

Change.

He needed to do something about his walls and tomorrow was going to be demo day.

Alarm clock set and ready for seven thirty a.m.

AN/ Please read and review!! I would really love to hear what you guys have to say!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer (I forgot to put one last chapter…) I solemnly swear that I do not own House MD or any of the characters on the show.

Thanks you my silent readers for checking out this fic. And special thanks for my reviewers!

**Domino Samme:** I'm so happy that you are enjoying my fiction. And thanks for the grammar check; I am truly horrible and editing. I'm glad you liked the White house description; I was hoping that it worked out.

**Wyoming: **I'm honored that you took the time to review and your words had me so happy!! I went back and fixed soul as well as some other mistakes. Enjoy chapter 2!

**Ara: **Thanks so much, I'm so excited you are enjoying this!

**Bones4life:** first of all, I will take constructive crit anytime you want to give it, so thank you. Im glad you are liking this and I hope you like chapter 2 just as much!

**Sweetgreuy: **thanks, that's what I was going for.

**Elizabeth Theresa:** I'm taking it further! I hope you like chapter 2!

**Sabu53: **glad you liked it!! Enjoy!

**Jules-md: **I am soo happy that you liked the metaphors, I hope I captured each character correctly. Enjoy Chapter 2!

**Tiflissa: **Thanks so much for the review and I hope you like chapter 2!

Chapter 2.

The buzzing from his alarm clock flooded his room drowning him in the painful sound. Violently hitting the alarm he was able to tame the beast that awoke him at such a horrid hour. Why did he want to wake up so early anyway…_oh yeah, change and all that jazz…blah. I need sleep to change, not to see the sunrise...snooze button, meet my right hand._

Three hours later, House was making his way to the elevator in the main lobby of PPTH, leaving a trail of water and Cuddy behind him. The weather was absolutely miserable.

Ironic, isn't it.

He was turning over a new leaf today, he was going to open up to someone and the clouds were closing him into a world of depression. The storm stretched across the sky and had no intention of letting up anytime soon. Neither did Cuddy.

"House. HOUSE!"

With a grimace and quick curse towards the unopened door in front of him, he turned to face the Dean.

"Why, hello, Dr. Cuddy. How are you and the girls this morning?"

"Great, House. But I need you in the clinic now. You got away with not doing your shifts because you had a case for the past week, but now that you are case less all of your energy need to be spent doing the work that you owe.'

"But…"

"No buts House. I'll be checking up on you all day, don't even think about sneaking off somewhere." And with the turn of her heel she was gone. He had other plans today; he was not going to waste his energy on Cuddy. Not today. With a sigh of defeat he pressed the up arrow once again, causing it to glow a dull orange. During her rant, the elevator had came and went, leaving him to wait once more.

Rain and Cuddy, and now clinic, this was going to be a long day.

MDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMD

Twelve patients, six cups of crappy coffee and one nap later, House was ready for lunch. So he went to get his wallet in Wilson's office…

Barging through the door to Wilson's office, which was oddly not made of glass, he was greeted with an empty room.

Ok, not to worry, I will just go to the café by myself. I DO NOT need Wilson to by me food…

Just as he turned back to the hallway after closing the door, he was face to face with who he was looking for. Wilson was hold a bottle of water and a Caesar salad in his hands, with a questioning look gracing his face.

"What were you doing in my office?" then with the wave of his hand, 'You know what, never mind, it's a stupid question."

"No, nothing, I was just looking for you."

"Sure you were, now empty your pockets, what did you take?'

"Wilson, there is nothing in my pockets. If the nurses are saying anything about a sock, it's a rumor I swear." He finished with a grin and limped away, leaving Wilson to his office.

His uneven gaits lead him to the cafeteria at its busiest time of the day. Everyone was there at 12:30 from grieving family members of dieing patients to nurses in which House had talked to one time too many. Grabbing a green tray from the stack he made his way to through the line snatching a hopefully pickle-less Ruben and a water along the way. After coughing up three dollars and seventy-five cents for his lunch he turned to face his newest challenge.

Getting a seat.

The structure and setup of the cafeteria made it difficult for an ant to travel through let alone a 6-2 man with a cane.

Scanning the crowd his eyes found safety where they always could.

Cameron.

From across the room he could easily sense her discomfort. Some pig-headed doctor was attempting to hit it off with Cameron. His Cameron.

_Ok, she isn't mine anymore, she is in the ER. But whatever, she doesn't want to talk to the jerk and I'm trying to be a friend today. A friend would…help her…I guess._

It seemed much to cliché for him to go over and rescue Cameron from this jerk, but it was demo day, he mind as well give it a shot.

_A shot, I could use one right about now…never mind focus…_

Weaving his way through the maze of tables, he kept his eyes locked with hers. Staring at her was like holding a hot pan, it was so hot you wanted to drop it, but you couldn't drop it, for you would ruin a delicious meal. He could never drop her stare.

As he made his way over to her table he was thinking up as many possible witty remarks to through at the guy in order to send him running, but it was not needed. For once he reached his half way point through the cafeteria the jerk was on his way out the door.

With a quick nod towards Cameron he took the now empty seat across from her smiling face. A smile that he told himself, was only for him.

"Thought I was going to lose my cane once I got here…" she gave him a quizzical look and he continued, "it was going to be up that guys ass if he didn't get out of here before I came over." He hid his smirk by taking a large bite from his Reuben.

"What are you doing here House, and don't tell me you were coming to save me from McAsswhole…"

"Why can't I just come and eat lunch with a friend?"

"It just doesn't sound like you that's all."

"Well maybe it can sound like me. It's nice to have more then one friend, or so I've been told. Plus, now that I don't have to boss you around anymore, I might be able to tolerate you in an outside of office environment."

"Tolerate me? I'm the one who had to tolerate you everyday." The annoyance in her voice never reaching her eyes.

"And yet, you haven't got up to leave, now have you …" She finally broke his gaze and took a bite of her salad. "That's what I thought."

He took a long swig of water, _like this will calm my nerves, _as silence fell between them.

"Sooo…Cam, what's the latest gossip of PPTH?" She gave him another questioning look, "What, this is what people talk about, isn't it?"

"Yeah, never mind." She wasn't going to push the fact that he was actually acting like a human being. After four years of working for the most complicated man on the planet, she did learn a thing or two. If he was going to talk, she was going to let him. "But did you hear about the new doc in Peds…?"

With the shake of his head they began a mutually friendly conversation about the gossip that was making its way through the hospital staff. It was surprisingly comfortable. And the close observer would be able to catch the small grin gracing House's lips.

How can the most unimportant conversation hold all the importance in the world? It wasn't like they were discussing feelings, emotions or anything remotely deep, but some how this conversation mattered. At least to House it did.

He was eating with a friend.

Who wasn't Wilson.

The demolition had begun. He hadn't brought out a wrecking ball or anything, but for the first time in his life, he had a hammer handy if he wanted it.

And he actually wanted it.

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hey guys, thanks for making it this far...Now that you are down here, might as well add a review right i hope you enjoys tonight episode, hopefully it wont be our last of the season...


	3. Chapter 3

Sweetgreuy, Ziggee, jremme, Alisoba, HouseLuvr, Domino Samme, bones4life, and jules-m.d, THANK YOU ALL for your wonderful reviews, they truely brighten my day and I am so happy all of you are enjoying Walls! To my silent readers, thanks for reading, I have been a silent reader more then I care to admit, but I would love to hear what you all have to say as well! So please enjoy chapter 3 and tell me what you guys thought! Thanks and have a good weekend everyone!

Disclaimer: It seems rather pointless to have these in every chapter now doesn't it? I didn't own them last time and I'm not going to say "Hey guess what I just bought House" this time. But ill say it, I don't own them, never have, never will.

Chapter 3

The rest of the day went rather smoothly for House. Well, it went as smoothly as the clinic could possible go…

"So, Mrs. Kamor, how long have you had your head pain?"

"Well…umm…what time is it now?"

"Excuse me…?'

"I mean, is it four yet? Because then it would be about an hour of pain."

"An hour?" _Why do I work with people, my hope for this race surviving until next week decreases with every patient…_ "Mrs. Kamor, what do you do for a living?"

"I'm a telemarketer, why is that what is causing the head pain?"

"Yes, your stupidity and your annoying profession is exactly the cause of MY head pain. You have what us doctors, and anyone else half a brain, like to call a _headache_." She responding with a look on her face like she just discovered she had a right arm. "Take some aspirin, read a book, and for god sakes get a job that has nothing to do with people."

That was one of the many examples of how dumb people can be, I don't want to lower your intelligence by reciting the rest…The end of the day lead House back to his home, remote in hand and sneakers toes off.

No scotch to dull his thoughts.

No extra Vicondin to numb his mind.

He just sat and thought, allowing his mind to visit and wander to the usually untouched topics of emotion. They is no harm in thinking right? _After all, __ideas are neither good nor bad, but merely as useful as what we do with it. Only actions can cause harm._ But today his actions caused no harm whatsoever. They caused the opposite of harm; they helped.

While wondering through the twists and turns of his brain, his stumbled upon something that an old friend once told him:

_If you don't create change, change will create you._

Nothing caused him to do this. No outside force or horrible event made him want this. Hell he wasn't sure if he even wanted it in the first place. But it's happening he is changing. Or maybe, he is just hoping for change. No one every said he was going to succeed. His wall didn't all of a sudden fall down. He just…he left the door open a little.

_I probably wont even eat lunch with her again, I still have Wilson….Oh crap. I don't still have Wilson. He has me. Well he has the female version of me for a sex toy. Eww gross. _He visibly shuttered at his own conclusion. _I guess I could do her..erm I could do lunch WITH her. Not her._

_Damn. _

It was time for the thought numbing and sleep. He popped a Vicondin and flicked off the tube, not sure what had been on in the first place.

Sleep came quickly, thanks to the Vicondin, and the fact that his mind was actually at ease. If one lunch with her could calm him this much, lunch with her more often wasn't such a bad idea. But ideas didn't matter.

Actions did.

He was going to act, nothing too dramatic, or close to caring. He would just eat lunch.

With Cameron.

The days dragged on. No patient, therefore Cuddy was up Houses' ass about the clinic like…_I really __**can't**__ think of a non-sexual metaphor._ It was truly draining both mentally and physically. But he had a release, food. More specifically his release was lunch.

Not Vicodin.

Not scotch.

Just lunch.

Now that didn't mean he stopped taking his pills or drinking, but during the workday he had a different tool to keep his mind occupied. For the next two days at 'no shadow time', he weaved his way through to the seat that was waiting for him. It was always for him, even on Friday, when he didn't show up….

All day Friday was a living hell. That morning a file was on his desk when he walked in and it caught his attention. He needed something more then the runny noses he had been treated for the past three days.

The new team was not in the groove of things yet. They haven't found their own place within the differential. Consequently, that made finding the answers much more challenging. By the time seven o'clock rolled around, they had almost killed the patient 3 times and the 11 year old, Ashley Spillane was finally stable. He sent his team home, for there was nothing they could do in such an exhausted state. But he stayed, for there was nothing he could do at his home.

The trusty tennis ball bounced between his fingers while his mind had a match of its own. Accompanied by the sound of his iPod, he sat staring at the space in front of him, not really seeing anything at all. He was in the kind of trances that always over took him when he worked on a difficult puzzle such as this. The kind of trance where he became alone in even the most crowded rooms. The kind of trance where the puzzle was all that he could see, until he found the way out to the real world again; the answer. Even the low rumble of his starving stomach couldn't shake him from his thoughts.

But when the all to familiar scent that was only Allison Cameron permeated the room, he awoke. He hadn't seen her since lunch yesterday, and around the time he should of saw her again, he was in the middle of a heated and very frustrating differential.

She looked as tired as he felt. She leaned against the door to his office with tousled hair, heavily used scrubs, and a white bag in her right hand.

"Hey." She stayed in the doorway.

"What are you doing here?"

"I just got off my E.R shift. I didn't see you at lunch today so I figured you locked yourself up here to figure out what ever is killing your patient." When she didn't get any response she continued, "Also not seeing you at lunch also meant you didn't eat. Hungry?"

"Starved." And with the nod of his head towards the vacant chair in front of his desk, she came into the room.

"Cafeteria food?" he questioned her as she removed their sandwiches from the bag.

"Well, yeah, I do work in the hospital too you know. It was the only place I passed on the way. Now eat."

"Well this is better then nothing, so thanks Cameron." She just replied with a smile, he thanked her. The sat silently, enjoying their well-deserved meals, sneaking a glance at each other between bites. After finishing her meal, Cameron broke the surprisingly comfortable silence,

"Thanks for this House, I hate eating diner by myself," then with a chuckle she added, "and there is absolutely nothing on T.V at 1 o'clock in the morning."

Deflection of her gratitude.

That is what he would have done if he kept his wall up around Cameron. He would have made a rude comment about thanking him, mocking her need for someone else. He would surly mention something about weakness and that she only wanted to heal him.

But he called of the guards, and left the door to his wall, just a little more open.

"Yeah, nothing is ever on. Plus your much more nice to watch then the TV, even when you look like the E.R. ran you over." To avoid her stare he took another bite of his sandwich. When he finally met her stare, something tangible passed between him. He felt her take on step within the boundary of his walls, and he didn't want her to leave. "You know Cameron," he spoke without dropping her gaze; without dropping the hot pan, "there is never anything on Saturday nights either. Maybe we could meet up for dinner?"

With a smile gracing her lips she replied, "That would be nice, House. Meet me at my place around 7?" he nodded in confirmation, "Good, well ill let you get back to the puzzle, I just thought you could use a little break."

"I did, now get out of here unless you know what killing this kid. See you tomorrow."

On her way out the door of the office she called back, "Its Lupus!" and she was on her way down the hall.

"Its NOT LUPUS!" he yelled to her reciting form. She could her the smile in his voice, giving her one of her own.

His walls were strong and heavily guarded because the he let the wrong people wander through. But if Cameron can get past security this easily, then maybe she deserved to stay awhile and look around. Maybe she didn't want to break down his walls, maybe she just wanted them built around her too.


End file.
